Mendiola filling VP position during reassignment

Dr. Robert Vela, vice president of student affairs, announced to Academic Council. Tuesday that Emma Mendiola, chair of counseling and student development, will fill in as acting assistant vice president of student affairs while Vela relocates to the district's new center for student information in the Albertsons facility on Pat Booker Road.

Vela will become the interim district director of center of student information.

When he officially moves, he could be gone up to two years. Vela will return to campus every Tuesday, but be at CSI for the remainder of the week.

Vela said at the Academic Council meeting that he is not in charge of Project Phoenix, the implementation of the Banner Enterprise Resource Planning system colleges are using. His job is not to fix the technical aspect of the program, but to head CSI.

Mendiola is filling Vela's place in his absence so students and the departments he oversees still receive full attention.

"I wasn't appointed. The department heads in the division figured out a plan on how we were going to manage during his (Vela's) absence," Mendiola said.

During the course of last week, a plan was presented to Dr. Robert Zeigler, president of this college, and on March 5, Mendiola was chosen to be acting assistant vice president of student affairs.

The plan was effective on Monday. Now both Vela and Mendiola must let their departments know what is going to happen during the next few weeks of transition.

"It's time to let all the units know what the game plan is," Vela said.

In the plan, department heads requested Vela to be here more during the week, but it was not possible, Mendiola said.

Vela oversees the assessment center, admissions and records, disability support services, enrollment management, counseling, student life, and the empowerment center, which Mendiola will head in Vela's absence.

He also deals with student discipline, which Ruben Flores, dean of evening, weekend and distance education, will oversee.

Before Vela took the position as dean of student affairs in the fall of 2008, Mendiola served as interim vice president of student affairs for two years.

Mendiola will discuss with her department today during their weekly meeting who will be filling her position during her absence.

Mendiola will continue to be chair of student development and counseling but have minimal duties in that area.

"We'll go through the same process and figure out how we are going to manage that," she said.

Vela said Mendiola will assign co-chairs to help lead counseling and student development. He said her staff has to figure out a plan and their ideas will be taken into consideration.

"For it to work out, it'll mean everyone in the division stepping up, but I'm really confident we'll do what we need to do," she said.

Vela said the decision of who will fill in for Mendiola will be made probably after spring break.

"I had mixed feelings," Mendiola said.

"I would prefer in an ideal situation to stay where you are, but I'm happy to help if I can."

She said she's confident that counseling will continue to have excellent services for students. Mendiola said they would all work together on behalf of the students.

"I appreciate my colleagues' support and appreciate Dr. Vela's administrative support," she said.

Vela transitioning to CSI is in the works, but when he officially moves he will be joining Martin Ortega, director of admissions and records, who has already relocated to CSI.

Mendiola's office will be next to Vela's in Room 309 of Fletcher Administration Center.

Students can reach the office by calling 486-0930.

"There will always be administrators ready to help students," Vela said.